Lizzie's Tasty Journey

Miso Breakfast Soup and a New Kitchen

2016-05-24T02:35:00.001-07:00

It has been a funny old time over the past month. For the first time ever, Tom and I have had to struggle through without a working kitchen. As always in life, the appointment we had with the plumber was rescheduled as he faced his own life challenges. We had to be patient.

DIY on a Saturday.

The shelves are wedding inspired made from our sharing platters. Need to sort out the wall sockets though.

This may explain the sudden need to cook with extravagance for three meals a day as though we are playing catch up. To be honest I have been desperate for a vegetable that wasn't a mushy pea. Takeaways are not our style other than the occasional trip to the fish and chip shop or the odd hangover quenching Thai.

This morning, I followed Tom's recently furvished need to eat umami. He found a cool website, Japancenter.co.uk and picked up seaweed, miso and chilli. I added to this supply by visiting the Asian supermarket in York Chi Yip to pick up some Kimchi, tofu and radish.

Korean and Japanese breakfasts have followed, much to the horror of my sister when she came to see the new place. We curbed ourselves over the weekend and did eggs and avocado.

Miso breakfast soup

Miso Breakfast Soup

1 tbsp oil
1 flat mushroom
A bunch of green beans
1 sweet red pepper
1 cup kimchi
1 tbsp miso
2 cups boiled water
2 tbsp dried seaweed
Spinkle Japanese chilli powder
1 cup diced tofu pieces

I fried off the vegetables for a couple of minutes to soften the sliced pepper, mushroom and beans.
I added the kimchi and stirfried for a couple of minutes.
I added the miso and water and stired in the paste until dissolved in the water.
I added the tofu and simmered for 8-10 mins.
I then turned the stove off and sprinkled with dried seaweed and chilli to taste.

The seaweed rehydrates as the boiling soup levels off to a palatable temperature. Leave it to stand for 5 mins.

Serve with Japanese pickles or radish. You could serve with rice as a more midday meal.

Almost but not quite finished

We are more than pleased with our new kitchen.

Chocolate and Coffee Torte

2015-11-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

Moist and rich chocolate deliciousness. Dark chocolate gives this torte a luxurious taste fit to quash even intense chocolate cravings.

Chocolate and Coffee Torte

200g Unsalted butter

200g 75%+ Dark Chocolate

3 tbsp of filter coffee

75g soft brown sugar

75g caster sugar

5 eggs

50g plain flour

50g ground almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Simmer the chocolate, butter and coffee in a bowl over hot water. Allow the steam to melt the contents and stir to combine the coffee and chocolate which will appear to separate. Don’t allow the mixture to become too hot.

2. Separate the eggs and whisk the brown sugar into the yolks until creamy and light in colour. Combine the caster sugar into the whites in a clean bowl by beating until they make soft peaks.

3. Add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the egg yolks and fold to maintain the air in the mixture. Add the sifted flour and ground almonds and combine thoroughly.

4. Take the egg white mixture and fold this in carefully until completely combined. You do not want any white lumps left over in the chocolate mix. Pour into a lined cake 18cm tin. Bake until a skewer comes out almost clean for around 40 mins. If you like a gooey texture then check after 35mins.

5. Serve dusted with cocoa and with a raspberry coulis or whipped cream.

Yorkshire Parkin

2015-11-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yorkshire Parkin on a Winter's night

A traditional hearty ginger sponge eaten in the winter months in Yorkshire. This recipe contains oats and flour but can be made entirely with oats for a denser texture. You can add rum or whisky to your recipe for a toasty flavour.

Yorkshire Parkin

400g Scottish oats

100g plain flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp mixed spice

400g golden syrup

100g treacle

60g butter

2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 150C.

2. Mix oats, flour, salt and soda, ginger and mixed spice in a bowl.

3. Simmer the syrup, treacle, and butter in a bowl over boiling water. Allow the steam to melt the contents and stir to combine. Don’t allow the mixture to become too hot.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

5. Add the two beaten eggs and stir in.

6. Pour into a lined 25cm square or equivalent round baking tin. Bake for 1 ½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean.

7. Store overnight loosely covered for the traditional flavours and stickiness to develop.

Cakes and Pies at the Heart of the Proceedings

2015-10-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Wedding Pies

Following on from the amazing BBQ post, I thought I would share the final installment of our wedding feast! We asked some of our lovely guests to contribute a pie or a cake for the desserts and evening buffet tables in the marquee. Some opted for homemade favourites, some chose to carefully carry a pie from their local butchers. One group of friends clubbed together and ordered a custom made 'friendship' pie!

Guests contributed to the pie evening buffet

The display was impressive, but more impressive was the fact that there was very little remaining by the end of the night.

Lancashire cheese and onion pie

Aunty Sharon's cheese and onion pie was a big favourite and it had already disappeared by the time word got round quite how good it was.

Sliced wedding cake

I made my own wedding cake much to the dismay of a few experienced brides who denounced me for taking on more than I could chew. But I loved making my own cake to the same recipe I have used for friends and family in the past. It was tried and tested and I knew it would make a lovely moist cake which we decided to serve with a massive cheese board! Unfortunately no pictures of the cheese board seem to have materialized. I fed the cakes with two different liquers. Two layers were lovingly glugged with Yorkshire Tea and brandy while the middle tier was fed with Taylors of Harrogate coffee and ameretto.

Guests provided homemade cakes for dessert

I didn't realise until quite late in the day that a couple of the bridesmaids had printed some flags for the cakes with pictures of family childhood parties. Photos pictured us dancing and singing at various parties and all of them a precursor to this very big party!

Wonderful Jenny made some chocolates

Jenny Culver, my fantastic and talented friend made a selection of handmade chocolate truffles and caramel cups.

Love the names on the flags.

My Homemade fruit wedding cake to accompany the wall of cheese

Gorgeous cake display and photos

It was a fabulous spread, I was so proud of everyone who made such an effort to produce a wonderful selection of scrumptiousness!

I'll meet you in Strasbourg!

2015-10-18T13:00:00.001-07:00

As a pre-wedding treat I took the chance to spend some time with my bestie. We looked for some cheap and cheerfully accessible city breaks. The usual Amsterdam and Dublin options were proving evasive as the times were all wrong and a few very obscure places later, Soph and I settled on Strasbourg (not to be confused with 'The Hills are Alive', Satlzberg). We knew very little about the city other than that fact it houses the EU Parliamentary buildings.

On arrival we realised we could be in trouble as we struggled to speak French to a group of youths and the lack of planning sunk in. We had no idea where our hotel was other than the fact it was near a rather large cathedral. We wandered through the old town’s twisting alleys lined with crooked half-timbered houses and the breath taking cathedral which sat opposite out hotel emerged. The whole place was like something from Grimm's fairy tales and the little timbre houses reminded us of Hansel and Gretel. It was later that we noticed all the references in the gift shops to gingerbread and the Black Forest! Doh!

Hansel and Gretel-esque Liz

An education followed. Strasbourg is located in the Alsace region of France, very close to the German border and the influences of both are found all over in the architecture, food and culture. The region has it's own defined dialect and we certainly felt the passion the inhabitants had for their unique region. Strasbourg's historic city centre, the Grand Island, was classified a Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.

Our hotel, L'hotel Rohan was the quirkiest we could find. The dining room was a bizarre mix of highly designed furniture and mounted animal heads. For example what hotel has a stuffed fox holding a drinks tray in the reception. The room was small but well dressed, clean and tidy. The location was amazing. A one minute walk to A gorgeously tall (sixth tallest church in the world) Roman Catholic cathedral, with architecture inspired by Romanesque and Gothic influences.

We tentatively entered a tavern down near the canal side and we were greeted with fluent french to which we again both panicked as we had completely forgotten anything Monsieur Pepper had taught us at school! The menu however was pretty easy to fathom as even English restaurants use a great deal of French and I had looked up the local cuisine if nothing else (standard)! Choucroute is a local variety of Sauerkraut which is left to ferment in wooden barrels. Traditionally it is served with pork sausages or smoked knuckles. Served alongside are often roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings. I can only describe our meals as 'hearty' and the German influence was more than apparent in the volume of meat on the plate!

The following morning we had a wander down by the canal side into Petite France which was delightful! You felt as though you were in a movie set. We walked around for a few hours and then realised that without any guide book or knowledge we had very little insight into anything and we wanted to know more!

So... we signed up for a Segway tour. Now one thing I can say about spending time with Soph is that you literally can't envisage what will happen but something fabulous always does. The girl attracts glamour and attention wherever she goes! This occasion was no disappointment.

One City Tours were happy to oblige us on our Segway adventure, only one problem, our one hour tour may be a little longer as the French version of 'The One Show' would be filming us on our way round. Would we mind?? Hell no, this would be fun!

Segway Tour

About 5 hours later, Soph had made her debut appearance on French TV, my legs would no longer function, Soph had also gone head first into an antique shop window and thank goodness nothing dramatic had happened to neither the window or my friend!

Once we had got the hang of the slow moving road use and the fast paced pavement moves we were away. I have to say though, during all the commotion of filming and retakes we learnt very little about the city other than the location of our tour guides favourite cookie shop and a great many visits down a great many courtyards and windy streets! The cookies were bredele. The tourguide told us in three languages, that if you have the pleasure of being in Alsace at Christmas time, many home cooks make numerous batches of small cookies in an incredible variety of shapes and flavors. These are mixed together to make a collection. Our guide, the situation and the randomness of the tour proved hilarious and we laughed the rest of the weekend!

Strasbourg Tour

The cookie knowledge provided outside various bakeries were in fact very impressive. A massive amount of gingerbread filtered its scent into the narrow streets and the sweet and spicy breads looked amazing. It was a window into German Christmas and there was even a shop selling purely Christmas themed gifts.


Alsatian Breads

Gateaux l'opera in Alsace

The breads included Kougelhopf, a yeast risen cake similar to brioche bread. Every family has their secret recipe and you will find all sorts of variations. The French spice breads, were on every street corner in boulangeries which each seemed to have a different display. You can buy a loaf, or just a square from a huge block! Either way, it is authentic and delicious. We also had lots of fun exploring the Patisseries and tasting all the amazing Gateaux and l'operas.

Wine caves

On the second morning we set off on foot, I feared my leg muscles had wasted away. We searched for the historical wine cellars of Strasbourg hospital which were not easy to find. Dating back to 1395, this brick-vaulted wine cellar hides beneath the hospital. It was originally built in a time when wine was considered a cure for all illnesses and now hosts a wine merchants selling Alsatian wines from Rieslings to sweet Muscats. One of its historic barrels is filled with a 1472 vintage and is locked up behind bars.

Enjoying a street cafe

No trip to France would be complete without wasting a few hours in a street cafe eating some measure of cheese. The croque monsieur was the perfect candidate. A baked or fried ham and cheese dish. A soft crust, topped with grated continental cheese. The bread is optionally toasted before and then dipped in whipped eggs, then the whole sandwich is finally baked in the oven so that the top cheese can melt and brown. It originated in French cafes and bars as a quick snack so we figured it would be rude not to try one! We enjoyed one of these while chatting about the hen party and other wedding gossip. But it was then that we determined we needed to seek out La Clouche a Fromage.

World's largest cheese cloche

La Cloche a Fromage or 'cheese bell', is a family-owned restaurant nearby the Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg. The restaurant loves all things cheese and so they have installed the worlds biggest cheese-board according to the Gunniess Book of Records which houses between seventy five and one hundred and ten cheeses (depending on the seasonality). We nervously approached it at the front of the restaurant which honourably works with artisan cheese makers. The display is amazing!

Strasbourg Crepes with Nutella and Banana

Our final foray with food in Strasbourg was a hearty crepe reminiscent of ski trips to the Alps. This and an ameretto coffee to wash it down filled our boots and prepared us for the journey home. Trying to buy a ticket for a French train also proved rather difficult and inspired me to brush up on my basic french. It was mortifying to fail so badly!

We had the best time in Strasbourg and I cannot recommend it enough for a weekend break or if you want to live in a fairytale town!

Post Wedding Day Blues- Inspired BBQ flavours!

2015-10-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Zanzibar chicken

I keep looking at our wedding pictures and drooling at the sight of all that deliciousness. I was so excited and nervous about everything going well that I didn't actually eat that much of it on the day. But I can still smell the BBQ's big smoke and feel the warmth of the day!

We didn't want a standard formal wedding day lunch but more a feast of flavours and options reflective of foods we love. That's why we were thrilled that our big chef-pal Dave agreed to help us out on our big day and wow... did we enjoy the planning stages! Discussion took place over a cheese board at our house one late February evening and came to fruition on an early May windy day in Dave's back garden! Lots of tasting, development and a few recipes later and we were somewhere near our dream. A few points of non negotiation were agreed.

Firstly, the food and the preparation would very much have to be a collaboration of friends, family, ourselves and Dave. Without a professional wedding caterer and the security this would bring, everyone would have to help out. Mucking in and improving their knife skills would be a condition of our nearest and dearest attending the wedding! We didn't have loads of money to pay a caterer and due to Tom and I working in the catering industry ourselves, it was frustrating that we knew what we wanted to do and how to do it, we just couldn't physically do it on the day ourselves! We planned a preparation day the day before the wedding and we put our faith in them all to make our dream a reality.

Secondly, we wanted to incorporate best man Rob's lamb. Rob is a sheep farmer hailing from Yorkshire but farming in Northumberland and his gift to us on our wedding day was one of his very own sheep! Dave was definitely the man to give this delicious gift its rightful place within the menu. An Italian marinade of anchovies and rosemary and garlic proved an incredibly popular choice.

Thirdly all the food should be downright delicious. We would never live it down if the food was a disappointment. We had no doubt with this team around us, we could deliver!

What we had at Sawley Village Hall, was a rather large basic kitchen with four gas hobs and a domestic amount of cooking space and apparatus. We didn't consider that using a fold away wallpapering table in the centre of the kitchen would pose a few problems for our 'chefs' who, with direction from Dave and Tom, ploughed through an army's worth of food. It didn't help that the willing helpers were a little hungover and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of salad prep... after a couple more beers they began to feel a bit better although the table movement made them feel as though they were working at sea!

We agreed we would utilise the BBQ space outside the hall on the veranda and have three equally tempting meat dishes and a vegetarian option. Guests could choose the meat and then the accompaniments to complement the dish. We wanted one dish to be inspired by our honeymoon destination of Zanzibar. Dave was handily familiar with east African cuisine as his sister lives in the region and he had tasted the flavours while out visiting her.


Dave cooking BBQ

And here is the finished menu.....

Starter

Traditional Italian Antipasto - cooked meats, olives, mostarda fruits, turnip tops, chickpea pate, pea puree, selection of breads.

Main Courses

Salt Beef, Russian Potato salad, Sauerkraut, Rye bread

Zanzibar-spiced chicken, Fattoush salad

Italian-marinated lamb, garlic and rosemary new potatoes, fresh salad, Bagna Cauda mayonnaise

Spiced Polenta Cake, Fennel and Orange Salad

Dessert

A table full of delicious cakes contributed by a group of generous ladies - served outside in the marquee

To Drink

Aperol Spritz / White Sangria

Marinaded shredded lamb

The BBQ flames became a little engulfing on the day as the canopy we had erected to shield from any potential rain, had the effect of encasing the smoke and the glorious sunshine laughed on, leading to streams of tears and struggles which further exemplified the amazing efforts as the team carried on regardless! A standing ovation for Dave and his assistant Jed echoed around the hall and went some way to thanking both for their determination!

Garlic and herb sauteed potatoes

Salt beef on the BBQ

Fattoush Salad to go with Zanzibar chicken

Along with an amazing force behind the cooking, our talented bridesmaids designed menu cards for the tables which matched our invitations and colour scheme! The BBQ and accompaniments looked beautiful and were a testament to all the lengthy chopping. Well done boys. (Might I add the girls were busy titivating the hall).

Salad cups for Italian marinated lamb.

Wedding guests choosing the Salt Beef option

Full menu choices

Mik and Sara's stylistic photos

The collaboration continued into dessert as we had asked a selection of willing ladies from the guests to bring along a cake for our dessert table. The WI would have been proud!

Mik and Sara captured the food with some gorgeous shots and I can't thank any of them enough for their efforts on the day.


So Happy with the delicious food! Well done everyone!

The Wedding of Mr Tom Hoare and Mrs Liz Ellory-Hoare

Starring….

(In no particular order!)

Our gorgeous bridesmaids; Maid of Honour Sophie Brook, Jennifer Ellory, Victoria Ellory, Hannah Berry, Vicki Spencer and Jennie Webber

Our handsome groomsman; Best Men Rob Airey & Ben Taylor, Declan Hoare, Mark Eyton Jones and Grat Maslin.

Brendan Walsh, coming over from the US of A to be our Master of Ceremonies and providing further eye candy.

Jenny Culver, and her wonderful chocolates, a perfectionist to the last!

Emily and Rich Chapman, their fancy hall dressing skills are a must, plus thanks for the bread delivery and calming manner!

Stuzzi of Kings Road, Harrogate gave their amazing authentic Italian wares! Yummy.

David Haynes’ mad BBQ skills, general appreciation of lush food, excellent idea generating and ‘great guy’ persona.

Nikky Manning and Sam Barber; hanging on to all that wedding paraphernalia helped us out loads!

Pete Manning, his cheese knowledge and safe cheese carriage all the way from Settle.

Paul and Vicky Spencer for their generosity, helping us arrive in style!

Pauline and Bob Berry’s kind efforts creating the amazing flowers and offering supportive green fingers.

Brian Kerrigan for hooking us up in the first place!

Richard and Janis Ellory discussed pros and cons of beautiful platter boards at length before agreeing to help make the dream a reality. Hopefully not too many splinters!

Jennifer Milligan and Jennie Webber provided our gorgeous invitations, what awesome teamwork!

Rebecca Arthur is available for fabulous hair like ours and embodies the wedding ‘support’. She’s here because of the cat that ruined the plants... to prevent further nervous breakdowns!

Mik and Sara are professionals- available for photography, capturing the day in their relaxed and creative style! Absolute treasures, both of you!

Rob, Zoe and the Airey’s, their fine lamb and hay bales, plus the effort lugging it all!

Bettys and the Walker’s for all your jars! Jane Ellory, Nana and Victoria Ellory for beautifying them!

The readers; Beck Penston, our beautiful mothers, sisters and brother!

The dedicated team of cake and pie makers! Your delicious treats are an inspiration and made our day even more personal and special. Can’t wait for a nibble!

Sawley Village Hall- Stuart at the bar and Rachel for finding that extra table.

Set up crew! Hope you enjoyed wedding day-eve as much as we did!

Our wonderful families for their constant support!

Everyone else for being here to share in our special day! You have all contributed in so many ways we cannot possibly detail. We couldn’t have done it without you.

!!!THANK YOU!!!

Harrogate's Stuzzi 'Did us Proud'

2015-09-07T13:12:00.004-07:00

Saturday morning at Stuzzi

Stuzzi is our new haven, skillful Italian authenticity which tantalises the taste buds but also engulfs you in Italian passion, wine, meats, cheeses and canolli! While pondering our wedding plans over the past 12 months, we found ourselves returning time and time again for a freshly baked Italian sausage sandwich and a mid morning Aperol Spritz or two. While doing so, we felt it could be the very solution to our wedding starter predicament. What would not only impress our guests and look beautiful, but would also sit well on the tables and pack flavour while getting everyone into the food 'sharing' mood? We had no choice but to squeeze the culture and enthusiasm for this style of food into our plans somewhere or other.

The relaxed welcoming approach of Harvey, Jimbob and the Stuzzi team capture the rustic vibes of Italia, not least as they have actually been there. They have seen and enjoyed it on multiple occasions. They know their stuff and sell it with their own genuine love for what they do and bring their own quirky design to the whole place. So we enquired about adding a little of this to our village hall spectacular.

Stuzzi pig logo

Freshly made Italian Dessert


Aperol Spritz mid morning outside Stuzzi!

We had a sit down discussion with the experienced and incredibly knowledgeable Stuzzi baker who has worked in Italian bakeries learning from the best, if this guy had his way we would have had three bread courses and nothing else! We also listened to the guidance of Harvey about balancing our offering with meats, textures and colour. We were all set to bring Stuzzi to Sawley.

Mr and Mrs Ellory-Hoare do it Yorkshire/Italian style

Hungryforimage - photos by Mik and Sara

The results were amazing; displaying the offering to our guests on two foot long planks, raised up on the table with tomato cans. The foccacia, bread sticks, fennel and cumin breads made interesting and perfect dipping tools for the fresh pea dip and chickpea puree. Balanced on top were a selection of delicious cured meats, plump and creamy green Sicilian olives, preserved turnip tops and the most talked about addition.... mustardo fruits; literally preserved and vibrantly coloured fruits with a sugary and mustard surprise. These bad boys were the most talked about thing at the wedding!

photos by Hungryforimage - Harrogate

White Sangria cocktails

Amazingly complex flavours, not any old bread stick - Stuzzi

Our wedding would not be complete without our obligatory Aperol Spritz

Borrowed the water bottle idea too...sorry! - Picture by Hungry for Image

We can't recommend this place enough, not only for their splendid knowledge and genuine interest in our event, but for making our wedding day a complete hit! If the Ellory-Hoare's had tipped up a big fat miss with the food on their wedding day.... well it would have been a bad do!

Yurtshire and a Llama Picnic (We Must Have Outgrown Teddy Bears)....

2015-08-25T14:08:00.001-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of spending a weekend in Yurtshire along with a rabble of farmyard friends... and that wasn't even the llamas. My beautiful bridesmaids had put together a weekend of activites which were themed around my love of the outdoors and especially the rolling Yorkshire countryside. They dressed me as a hen and each got fully involved in their farmyard outfits! Our accommodation for the weekend was a Yurt just outside Ripon, towards Fountains Abbey. These Yurts were the perfect setting for laughter and dancing while dressed as a farmyard hen (the remoteness allowed complete unabashed fun).

Yurtshire sleeping

Yurtshire


Afternoon tea in the communal yurt

On arriving, me and the girls had a feast of afternoon tea laid out on the glamping style benches in a big communal yurt. The light and airy style of this outdoor living was seriously comfortable, with a log burning stove in the center which we needed during the cool May evening. We also had BBQ facilites for the evening and endless cups of tea as each sleeping yurt had its own mini kitchen and dining patio area. Clearly, Yurtshire is somewhere you could live for quite some time very happily.


Glamping fun with my hens

Nidderdale llama trek

The second day was an amazing surprise and one which I secretly hoped for, but we went on a farm trek at Nidderdale Llamas which involved an introduction to the llamas and selecting the most appropriate llama for your personality! Suzanne was amazing and really knows her stuff as they run through how to handle them out trekking. The most memorable part of the weekend was a lengthy discussion about how a llama would never spit at a person, only for a misdirected hunk of chewed grass to be launched at the beautiful Camilla's face. No one knew what to say! Poor Camilla. Poor Bertie, the sensitive soul. We were assured he meant no harm!


Gary the Alpaca, the llamas gallant singing friend, Llamas and alpacas communicate by humming (named Gary after the Barlow)

Jack the lad, a particularly characterful llama - Nidderdale llamas

After the trek we went back to the farm buildings and enjoyed more afternoon tea style picnic sandwiches and cakes which we were all really ready for after our trek. The llamas had taken the opportunity to eat whenever and wherever they could along the way which was a luxury you cannot enjoy while trying desperately to prevent your llama from rolling in a bush! Suzanne and the team looked after us well and laid out a lovely feast with lashings of tea.

love for the llamas

I loved the llamas so much that I invited them as a secret addition to our wedding, two months later and they were an absolute hoot! Gary was very well dressed and featured in our official pictures almost as much as the food which is saying something!

Nidderdale Llamas appearance at our wedding, Sawley Village Hall

Easy like a Sunday Pancake Morning

2015-02-22T04:11:00.001-08:00

New York Fluffy Pancakes

There's something about Shrove Tuesday that makes me feel excited about the year ahead. It picks you up again after the hopeful thoughts about new year have worn off. It's the feeling that spring is coming; determination to achieve those pesky resolutions has waivered and it's a day to get back on it! Lent builds anticipation for a final reward!

This weekend, my bridesmaid Hannah and I, set to and made the first strokes of writing on my gorgeous, hand designed wedding invites for the summer (courtesy of the darling Miss Webber and incredibly clever Mrs Milligan- fellow bridesmaids). The excitement of this and the fun times ahead are something else to look forward to and undergo a period of lean!!

So with an excited heart, I pulled down the mixing bowl and made some amazing breakfast pancakes for a final treat, following whispers of inspiration from Hannah. Neither of us had a moment to make pancakes on Tuesday itself and after four hours of laborious envelope licking the night before, I thought I owed her.

I took the recipe from New York; Cult Recipes by Marc Grossman.

Makes 25

New York Fluffy Pancakes

150g plain flour

1 teaspoon bakin powder

1 teaspoon caster sugar

Pinch salt

Sift these ingredients into a bowl. In a seperate bowl, mix the wet ingredients as follows:

250ml milk

2 beaten eggs

25g melted butter

Drop vanilla extract

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry whisking a little at a time. Don't over mix or a tough texture will result.

Heat your pan with a little oil, test the heat with a little dribble of batter. Pour in a tablespoon at a time and cook until the shape solidifies and air bubbles appear- turn and cook the other side until golden. Cook for around 30 secs each side.

Serve with crispy streaky bacon, maple syrup and banana.

Gimbap Lunch

2015-02-15T08:07:00.001-08:00

After a lovely day in York, we stopped at the Oriental supermarket near the train station and picked up a few bits for a Korean throwback lunch. Sticky rice, spinach, tuna, pickled radish, red pepper all rolled into a piece of gim (nori seaweed) and garnished with some delicious and healthy fermented cabbage!

I even managed to roll it without my rolling mat as I leant it to my sister. Squashing it all in and moistening the join helped it all stay together.

What a winner!

A Proposal and Oysters at The Marina, Whitby

2015-01-27T14:18:00.000-08:00

The sights and sounds of Whitby have never before seemed quite so romantic, but for me, the memories I now have there are the most sincere and romantic of any I possess.

After a very unexpected proposal up at Ravenscar, overlooking a colony of barking seals and crashing waves, Tom and I got engaged and the excitement of it all, plus the sea air, gave us both a hankering for luxury and relaxation. Or perhaps it was the camping pod!

We took a turn about Whitby the following day and absorbed the gothic atmosphere up at the abbey ruins, in the quirky church and among the grave stones on the cliff. The historical feeling within the town is nostalgic and the harbour breeze mixed with a rusted sea front gives you a sense of mortality which nudge you towards grasping life and seizing the moment!

Whitby, view from the stairs leading to the Abbey and church

Whitby Harbour and Abbey

So we sauntered into The Marina to enjoy a platter or two of oysters and some lunch time Bloody Marys. Amazingly, they served the most delicious Colchester Oysters are served on ice with shallot vinaigrette, Soy, ginger & spring onion or Catalan – Chorizo & shallot.
We opted to sample all of the above and they went down very nicely. My favourite were the shallots and vinaigrette. But we added a little tabasco - the cocktail gave me a taster for the spice.

The Marina, Whitby

Oysters, The Marina, Whitby

The Marina, Whitby

Catalan Oyster, Whitby

Whitby Panoramic - Seize the Day!

This day will go down as one of the most wonderful; embracing the day, enjoying each others company, and appreciating the beautiful Yorkshire coastline.

Salmon Ravioli with Wild Mushroom and Mussel Sauce.

2015-01-26T13:40:00.001-08:00

Salmon Ravioli- Wild mushroom and Mussel Sauce.

Salmon Ravioli with wild mushroom and Mussel Sauce. Serves 4

This dish has a few elements and therefore timing is everything. Ensure you plan ahead and serve as a delicious starter or add extra ravioli for a main dish.

Salmon Mousse

Add salmon to a blender in batches. Don't add salt at this stage and be careful as you can over blend the mousse and this will affect the texture making it grainy. Adding egg whites acts as a glue and binds the mixture together. I recommend adding one egg white to 200g fish. Add lemon juice, a splash of cream and seasoning and then pass through a sieve.

Pasta

1 egg
1 yolk
100g pasta flour- tippo '00' milled to a fine grain
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp water

No salt- this affects the structure, put salt into the cooking water for flavour.

Method

Sift your flour onto a surface and create a well in the centre.
Add your liquids and fold the flour into the centre until all is combined and a dough is formed.
Work the dough to stretch the gluten. Rest it in cling film for 20mins somewhere cold.
Roll out the pasta in a machine and hang to dry for 30mins. Lay out one of your pasta sheets and place dots of the mousse filling evenly spaced out. Brush around the mousse with a little egg wash and seal by laying over with a second piece of pasta and carefully sealing around your filling. Stamp out the ravioli shape or cut into squares.

Don't overfill the ravioli and be careful to seal it or it will explode in the water.
Leave the ravioli on a floured surface to dry a little before cooking.

Ensure your pasta water is well salted and boiling before cooking for approx. 3 mins until al dente. The shape allows you to capture sauce in the pasta and creates a beautiful shape.

Wild mushroom and Mussel Sauce

Place 1 diced shallot in a heavy based, lidded pan with a little olive oil and cook until translucent. Add a couple of handfuls of mushrooms and stir for another two minutes.
Add 100ml white wine and reduce by half.
Add 100ml whipping cream and reduce again.
Add your mussels (around 1kg) and place the lid on the pan. Cook until the shells have opened for around 5 mins. Discard any shells that do not open.
Pour the sauce over the pasta. Season the dish with pepper.

Supreme of Salmon

Debone and trim your pieces of salmon into nice even shapes. Season the skin and place in a hot non stick pan, skin side down. Turn after 3 minutes and cook the other sides for 1 min each until the salmon is firm to touch.

Plate with your pasta, sauce and garnish with some flat leaf parsley.

Bundo-Lust

2014-09-25T02:55:00.000-07:00

Bundobust is a collaboration between Bradford based, Great British Restaurant finalists, Prashad and The Sparrow Bier café craft beer specialists. This amazing mix of authentic and fantastically tasty Indian street food and interesting pale ales and craft beers create a food destination. So much so, that when Tom and I headed home after a mini break 'farm sitting' in Northumberland, we had a super hankering for lunch at this place. It must have been all the fresh air. We were prepared to face thirty minutes circumnavigating the loop around Leeds and a fairly heated argument about lack of parking to make the worthwhile pit stop. This could only mean one thing - 'Bundo-lust'. Open since July 2014 on Leeds’ Mill Hill, we have visited three times and never failed to get our vegetarian Indian street food fix! The location is a super casual up and coming street near other trendy 'Friends of Ham' and 'Tapped' food and drink hubs, satiating around the new Leeds Trinity shopping centre.

Bundobust - refreshingly simple

A simple décor of chipboard and shared bench seating makes the relaxed atmosphere of street food come to life. Posters of events and beer pairings/music events make you feel part of the food movement. The friendly staff are happy to help and knowledgeable about menu and beers alike. There is a genuine enthusiasm for upcoming menu changes and chef secrets, enough to excite any apathetic eater.

We made the choice to order 5 individual dishes from the menu to share and they each offered a assemblage of flavours, textures and satisfying comfort.

bundolust!!- street food

From top left to right,

MASSALA DOSA (gf)
Mini rice crepe, potato & onion dry fry. Served with lentil soup & coconut chutney.£6.00

PAWA BATAKA (v, gf)
Rolled rice with peanuts, potato & mustard seeds. £4.00

BHEL PURI (v)
Samosa pastry, puffed rice, turmeric noodles, red onion, tomato & tamarind chutney. £4.00

Bottom left to right

ONION GOBI BHAJI BHAJI (v, gf)
The ultimate bhaji. Onion, cauliflower & spinach. £4.00

BUNDO CHAAT
Samosa pastry, chickpeas, potato, tamarind chutney, yoghurt & turmeric noodles. £4.00

Seriously good bhaji bhaji!

Bhel Puri and Bundo Chat -

Masala Dosa

Bundobust is not a self proclaiming restaurant. It is a casual extension of authentic Indian street wares which are so true to life and great to share. Tom and I were literally catapulted to a very memorable lunch on Mumbai, Chowpatty beach. All this washed down with Bundobust Coriander Pilsner, an interesting pint of refreshing tangy liquid at £4.20 a pint.

Street food Chowpatty beach, Mumbai

Me and Tom on Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai

Authentic Bhel Puri on Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai

Purple Heart Wedding Cake that Nightmares are made of!

2014-07-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

First attempt at sugar flowers

As tasty journeys go... this one had a happy ending but lots of sleepless nights in between! I have made a celebration cake before and iced it with rudimentary peach coloured sugar roses for my Dad's wedding. It was a nice way to feel part of the day and a gift I felt showed a level of support for my Dad's happiness on that day.

It was quite a different sense of pressure however, to put myself out there and commit to making a three tier wedding cake for 150 people at a wedding where Tom would be joint best man and at the center of proceedings. We had both agreed that wedding cakes were exceptionally expensive when having a conversation about how the plans were going for our friends, and so Tom had suggested to Rob and Zoe that I made a cake. After all... I had done it before.

I couldn't even find a closeup picture of the cake I made all that time before, and so I thought I had better get some practice in. I created a mood board with Zoe and spent a couple of afternoons messing around with some fondant icing. The results were cute, but no where near what I needed them to be!

So I sought professional help with extra classes at college. With the cake decoration tutor 's assistance, I managed to ice a wooden lump with a level of precision that would rival an elephant. But nonetheless, not a bad attempt. I decided against this technique though as it was not the nicest icing to work with.

First attempt at royal icing

Then came further help with books and advice from another friend from work, Jenny. We spent a few hours chatting and making individual rose petals in tinted sugar paste which led to some much better results. Confidence was building, I had also settled on the layers of cake. A fruit cake base, a lemon sponge with lemon curd, a chocolate and passion fruit top, but I had promised Zoe a purple heart laid on it's side. Hmm, that should be fine...I'm sure.

Sugar flowers and leaves for wedding cake

Well it was not fine! I took the advice of the lady in the cake shop and wrapped a polystyrene heart in clingfilm, before icing with purple fondant. Disaster and a sleepless night followed! But never fear, there is always a friendly hand and Hannah and her cake whizz mum, Pauline came to rescue me and offer some technique advice to get me back on track. We also made a little dog figure to represent Charlie dog, the farm yard lassie who chases alongside Rob's land-rover on the farm. A firm character and part of the family! This cheered me up and put me back on track!


Purple polystyrene heart, covered with a little help from Pauline and Hannah!

Then came the icing and doweling which was the least challenging part of the whole thing. Piping tiny dots was relaxing and satisfying.

Piping and icing in full swing

Transporting the cake in sections was the next challenge. Tom's speech recounted a horrendous experience on the farm with Rob, in which a cow had scaled a 6ft wall onto a busy main road, causing a lady to emergency stop and forcing her carefully crafted wedding cake into her footwell! I did not want this to happen to us. With this in mind, each groomsman had a layer safely in their clutches the whole drive to Bolton Abbey. At one point the Groom's button had made an impression on the icing and there were a few dots to be glued back on, but disaster was avoided. Phew!

Smoothing is not as easy as it looks

I dusted the flowers with shimmer and under Pauline's advice, I steamed them to set a sheen on the powder which really brought them to life.

Finished and dusted flowers. Thanks Jenny for the hints and tips.

I swear I was more nervous than the groom when I came to assemble the cake on an insufficiently stable table. Despite Mini-Zoe making a dive from the top, I positioned the perfectly resembled figures she had given me on the top with Charlie dog and arranged the flowers strategically between the layers.

Finished three tier wedding cake with leaning purple heart

Dusted sugar flowers

All in all, despite the fact I was an utter nervous wreck most of the week, I was really pleased Tom and I could offer Rob and Zoe a piece of cake made with love to celebrate their fabulous wedding day. It was never going to be perfect in my eyes, but it really was a pleasure and despite my fuss, tasted a treat too! Not long until I have it all to come again for Tom's mum's big day. Those cakes are already being fed a hot toddy or two in preparation!

Happy wedding party at Barden Tower, Skipton on the wonderful sunny day!

Gloucester Services and Farm Shop

2014-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Airy and light, farm shop services- Gloucester

You may think I have reached a new low. Certainly, spending ten minutes describing an English motorway service station is not something I ever thought would be a great past time. But I was so blown away by the simplicity of the values at this site on the M5 Northbound. I am surprised no one has thought of this before now. The recently opened Gloucester Services are an inspirational change to the overpriced desperation shopping you usually do on a long journey and more like somewhere you might actually drive to, just to do a spot of shopping. The place was a real treat on the journey from Bath to Harrogate. I am always partial to a farm shop and interesting regional delights and clearly this has been noted as a popular trend for a large enough portion of motorway users. Instead of a soggy prepacked sandwich and a cup of rubbish tea in a paper cup, we nibbled on some pork jerky, fresh asparagus spears and a delicious aubergine and lentil salad. It was easy to make healthier choices amongst the delicious produce.
Gloucester Services, (and the cute piggy on the sign) offer the motorway haven we have all been waiting for. On investigation, it seems Gloucester is the younger sibling of the Tebay Services; the grounded and inventive Westmorland family's original venture in Cumbria. The community values of the offering and the feel of a local market make a huge difference to the enjoyment of a long journey home.


Local produce found on the map

Cakes and bakery offerings - Gloucester farm shop services.

As we hadn't taken a picnic of regional delights in the car with us, we could not have dreamed of a better spread of genuine produce right when we needed it most. Fresh vegetables, blissfully baked bread, locally grown fruit preserves and handmade sushi are just a sample of the delights on offer in the shop.

Freshly baked artisan breads - Gloucester services

fresh salad bar - Gloucester services

Summer delights, tasty treats- Gloucester services

You can browse a market style display of cheese and meander past the busy butchers, complete with a hanging meat fridge display.

Grab a butty made with local baked bread.

Deli style crusty bread butties and wholesome homemade dinners can be enjoyed on an outside terrace overlooking a relaxing pool of moving water. Local designs are found on gift ware and an array of kitchenalia ensure you are not tapping your feet impatiently while waiting for your travel pal to return from the loo. I highly recommend stopping to stretch your legs at this amazing and unusual rest spot! I only wish I had thought of it first.

London- Borough and Maltby Street Markets; A feast for the eyes!

2014-05-21T12:13:00.003-07:00

Borough Market entrance

Walking towards Borough Market from London Bridge, the new artistic and industrial looking entrance to the well established food haven is quite impressive. It would be equally impressive if you just stumbled across it some how coming through the back streets and missed the entrance entirely but then this entrance and it pretty and organic seating areas, are a signal that this market is truly on the map. And with excellent reason. Even at the grand NEC Good Food Show in Birmingham, I didn't see as many wonderful delights. In fact the exotic offering of cheeses, ethnic preserves and fermented ingredients were far more inspiring than the endless boxy stalls and tasting crackers at the BBC events

Railway arches behind Borough Market

This felt like a true discovery. I could imagine the Londoners of old coming here and mixing with the most colourful of characters from around the world, selling their wares. It was historically and some may say heroically saved by a group of local vendors in 1755 after Parliament tried to close it down. But the passionate sellers would not let the tradition and local communities suffer. Now it is a hubbub of bizarre and intriguing foods which resonate the current trends and no doubt create new trends in British and world food.

The maze of stall holders spills out into the streets of Southwalk and the atmosphere is one of excitement. Open for lunch Mondays and Tuesdays and then for the full market Wednesday through to Saturday, you could spend a lot of money here getting fat!

Following our discoveries over the south bank, we also visited a fairly new offering in Bermondsey. Maltby Street hosts a narrow and lively foodie market which has very unique and knowledgeable, artistic food vendors and hosts a more bohemian atmosphere.
There are panna cottas to die for (coming from someone who doesn't like jelly).
This market has piggy backed on the nearby Monmouth Coffee roasting shop which previously opened to the public on Saturdays. Now more archways at Spa Terminus SE16 open up to the public to share experimental food and drink. We opted for a bloody Mary from one of the popup café bars hidden amongst a junk filled railway arch. The hotchpotch approach to seating means you have to cosy on up to your neighbour, but the feeling that there was an Alice in Wonderland approach to this claustrophobic huddle of patrons meant I enjoyed it very much.

But if you thought this was just a bunch of trendy types jumping on the food bandwagon, you'd be wrong. There were some seriously technical wares on sale. One stall sold the most amazing smoked salmon and the vendor was happy to discuss his processes.

The same applied to a stall selling an exceptional range of charcuteries; I was amazed by the craft of salting, preserving and curing meats while creating imaginative combinations which included flavours such as rabbit, juniper, blueberry and even donkey!

I really enjoyed both markets for their individual offerings and liked both for their diversity and courage in offering. Maltby was a little more fun...there was alcohol involved for one thing, but it felt more like a well kept Saturday morning secret. I have no doubt it is very well known and established to locals, but may lose it's charm the more popular it becomes!

Beetroot Risotto with Grilled Mackerel

2014-02-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Another educational day at college resulted in a really delicious and vibrant healthy dish I simply had to share. Preparing the fish as shown in the video below, does not need to be messy and is really easy when you know how! Buying whole fish from the supermarket or fish monger means you can use the bones for stock and pay a little less for the privilege of self preparation. Not only does fish provide as much protein as meat, oily fish like mackerel contains vitamins A, D and Omega 3 essential for healthy joints and useful for weight loss.
Quality points include bright, unclouded eyes, bright gills and firm flesh in which pressing impressions disappear. No bruising, abrasions or bad smells should be apparent when choosing your fishy!

Grilled Mackerel and Beetroot Risotto

Ingredients

1 Filleted Mackerel.
60g Risotto rice
20ml White wine
60g Beetroot
10g Parmesan
15g Crème Fraiche
Knob of butter.

Fillet the Mackerel.

Descale the fish with the back of a knife into a sink, scraping from the head to the tail.
Place the knife in the hole under the belly and cut towards the head up to the fins.
Gut the fish using a finger to pull the innards out. Turn the fish onto one side. Go in at a diagonal angle just after the fin towards the head turn the knife and lay flat along the spine. Run the knife along the central bones which are soft. You should have a fillet. Repeat on the other side. Neaten the edges and run under cold water to clean up. Pat dry, cut scores into the skin side and rub with a little oil and seasoning.
For a slightly less fussy approach see the following link. Fin & Flounder

Grill the fish for around 5 mins on an oiled tray, skin side up until the fish has curled and the skin is crispy.

For the Risotto

Dice the beetroot and roast in a hot oven.
Finely dice the onion and fry until translucent but not browned.
Add the rice and fry for one minute until it begins to make a cracking sound. Add the white wine and reduce.
Add the vegetable stock in small quantities and stir continuously until all is absorbed.
Repeat until the rice is cooked but retains some bite.
Add the roasted beetroot, crème fraiche and Parmesan. A knob of butter at this stage lets the grains relax and creates a glossy finish.
The risotto must be moist and should not sit neatly in a shape, but should drop from the spoon and sit in a little risotto heap of deliciousness!

Golden Cinnamon and Flaxseed buns

2014-02-23T13:41:00.001-08:00

These sweet treats are a real comfort food on a cold February Sunday. Washed down with a big mug of Yorkshire Tea, one is never enough! Refill anyone?

Cinnamon and Flaxseed Buns

Makes 15 buns

Ingredients

110g butter

225g sugar

1 egg

300g plain flour

200ml milk

1tsp baking soda

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp flaxseed

Method

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add one beaten egg and combine then stir in the milk and flour.

Add baking powder, lemon, flaxseed and cinnamon. Mix together.

Place a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into bun cases, sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon mixed together to finish.

Bake @ 180C for 15-20 mins and cool on a rack before serving.

Back to School with a Knife and a Rabbit!

2014-02-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

Chef knives

It was like my first day of school, but instead of a pencil case filled with shiny and carefully sharpened pencils, I admired my knife roll and the carefully selected knife purchases. A cooks knife, paring knife, small serrated blade, a boning knife and a speed peeler. I knew this set would grow over time but for now these blades were to be my pride and joy.When I started college back in September, I was apprehensive about the level of skill I would need to commence a Level 3 NVQ in Professional Cookery having not done levels one and two. We were given a ready steady cook challenge after our induction and I had gotten myself all worked up thinking this would be a test of creativity, skill and palette, like a master chef challenge. I knew from watching Greg Wallace's winces that this is not always a pretty experience. The trolley was finally revealed and I have to say my heart sank a mile; chicken, potato, plums, apples, lemons, salt, pepper, butter, cream, peas, eggs and seasoning. Hardly inspiring. Apart from seasoning, there was nothing to put a bit of excitement onto a plate, there was nothing to show flair and creativity. But then I realised this was a simple task, cook something simple, well seasoned and perfectly timed. It was a test of time management, working methods and basic understanding especially for those the tutors had not seen work before.
I made a pan fried butterflied chicken breast, cooked in butter and lemon zest. I served with enriched mashed potato (egg yolk and cream) and some tart plum chutney and crushed peas to garnish.

The feedback was good, well seasoned, well timed, hot plate, mixed textures. All the pressure was lifted. I could do this! Mine was not an epic disaster, it was actually quite good. But I was not expecting that the following week, I would be presented with a glassy eyed rabbit!

One year on from stoic vegetarianism and this little bunny was looking up at me all fluffy and showing the marks of its last moments. Although the initial discomfort was unaided by the funky smell of the innards and the fact I had to decapitate the poor thing, I didn't find the experience as awful as first thought. In fact, it was like an anatomy lesson.
I learnt key quality points to check - no bad smells, head and feet attached, eyes moist and not sunken. If hung, I learnt that hanging meat for so many weeks lets it rest and mature and the head should be removed. The liquid evaporates and the meat shrinks which intensifies the flavour and softens the meat.
The gamey flavour is well matched with fruit sauces for a rich flavour. Elderberries/blackberries/currants/loganberries/bilberries.
A rabbit gives 2/4 portions in which you could serve back legs with half the saddle or maybe half a kidney. Using the whole animal and different parts on one plate creates texture and variation in flavour.

To prepare the rabbit

Using a cooks knife, remove the head, feet at the joints. Pull the fur away at the neck and grip firmly pulling from head to bottom. Pull the skin off by pushing a finger through from neck to front legs and pushing forelegs back and through the skin. You can then pull down the back to remove the skin from the flesh.
Back legs and tail should be easier to push through the skin.
Ensure guts are removed.
Remove sinew tissue as this is fat that wont break down.

To portion

There are 2 main portions - back and front legs and the loin.

Using a boning knife, remove front legs close to the ribcage cutting through shoulder joint. Trim excess bits and neaten.
Dislocate back legs, open out and cut as close to the body as possible and through the hip joint.
The loins are designed to strengthen the back and allow movement and balance. Straighten the rabbit and using a boning knife, start at the top and go into the spine. The loin get thinner as you get further to the hind.

It is important to know the age of your game as it will affect how you cook it. Young game require s quick roasting at a high heat. Older game will be tough and will do better pot roasted or in a casserole.

We decided to use the rabbit in two ways. We produced a Tom Kerridge starter plate of potted rabbit with carrot salad and soda bread.

The potted rabbit requires confit legs which is a kind of braising in submerged fat (usually duck fat). Infused salting for 12 hours before allows moisture to be removed and impregnates the flavour. Juniper berries, star anise, bay leaves, herbs and salt. This is then washed off the legs, which are browned in pan to seal and caramelize the flavour and colour.

We cooked the legs for 1 hour 30 mins in a preheated 130 oven, sunken into the fat and covered with foil to prevent evaporation. The cooled confit legs were picked, put into a small portion sized pot and the confit fat is reheated, sieved and poured over to cover. Not a healthy dish but rich in flavour.

We baked home made soda bread and served with a pickled carrot and dandelion salad.

Soda Bread

Makes one loaf

125g flour mixed with a pinch of salt. Add 1/2 tsp bicarb and 100ml milk.
Combine to a softened dough. turn onto a surface and knead for one minute. Cook in a dry flat pan with a damp cloth over let it brown and expand then turn once. Bake in a 200c oven for 15-20mins to finish. Tap the bottom and if it sounds hollow it is cooked. Cool on a rack.

And secondly we produced

Pan fried rabbit loin with blanched kale, swede puree and espagnole sauce with a pancetta crisp.

1 rabbit Serves 2

*Cook in the following order to make the most effective use of your time.

Espagnole sauce

30g four, 30g oil to create a brown roux. We used oil to get a higher temperature than with butter without burning. Keep it moving in the pan to cook out until darkened brown. Add 1tbps tomato puree and cook out again to remove bitterness. Too much makes the sauce red and you want the dark roux to shine through. Add blacked carrots, onions and leeks cooked in a skillet until literally black.
Add 500ml beef stock a little at a time to avoid lumps, simmer to reduce stock.
sieve through a fine muslin or sieve to remove impurities.

Dried Pancetta

Place between two heavy trays and cook for 8 mins 180c.

Swede Puree

Cut the swede into small even sized pieces and poach in milk. Cook by eye until softened. Add a little water to the milk so the proteins do not boil over. Add seasoning, thyme sprig and cover with a cartouche. Puree in a blender and season.

For the loins

We cut the loins in half and wrapped in pancetta. We pan fried for 3-5mins on a high heat to colour and leave a pink colour when sliced.

Blanch your Kale plate and serve.

The Royal Crescent Hotel - A Day to remember

2014-01-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

The day your older sister gets married has to be one of the biggest turning points in a girls life. Not only is your sister now a real grown up, but it means that time is ticking for you, too! As Jennifer is only a couple of years my elder, I have some food for thought going into my 29th year. A joyous day to remember was had in the most historic and glamorous town for rest and relaxation and in true Bath style, everything looked grand. Mr and Mrs Milligan decided that instead of spending a little bit of money on a large group of family and friends they would prefer to spoil the most important people in their lives and a close group of 11 of us headed down to meet the couple the night before the big day. Full of excitement for our wedding duties the following morning, the Ellory clan celebrated the last night of Jennifer's single status; gathered together in a fab apartment where we ate a huge Thai takeaway.

Mr and Mrs Milligan, Guildhall Wedding, Bath

After the ceremony, we were whisked off to the beautiful Royal Crescent,where we experienced an eight course taster menu reception at The Royal Crescent Hotel.

Bridesmaids, Guildhall, Bath

So this is the part where we were spoilt rotten. Not only was the food from the Dower House Restaurant imaginative and delicate in presentation, it was simply delicious and an amazing experience all at once. We were seated in the private Library room which of course offered us a different atmosphere and boasted a finely decorated fireplace and Georgian theme. Each course was discussed between the bride and groom and the Head Chef David Campbell who came through towards the end of the dinner and passed on his thanks for our compliments.

The courses were detailed on a special menu and announced with explanation on service. The combinations on offer were fresh and modern and made with local ingredients.

Apple, Parsnip, Smoked Eel, Coriander

Foie Gras, Pear, Gingerbread, Red Wine

Mackerel, Cucumber, Horseradish, Cavier

Menu and wedding favours

Lamb, Wet Polenta, Alliums, Sheeps Milk Gel

Not Bakewell Tart

Chocolate, Popcorn, Toffee

We were then served a mighty cheese board offering, which included a selection of local cheeses and quince jelly. Pausing for a breather between crackers, we also watched the cutting of the cake which was then bagged into sweet shop stripy bags for later!

Beautiful two tier fruit cake hand decorated by the Groom's Mum

Coffee and Petit Fours: Poppy and Lemon cake, Pistachio Macaroons

The Georgian Library Room, Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

The most stand out course for me was the lamb which included braised lamb neck so soft and tender and sticky with rich gravy. It was even better served with lamb bon bon and fillet. The Not Bakewell Tart was an interesting twist on the usual stodgy cake with fresh fruity flavours.

I was overwhelmed with the day and will remember the dining experience for a long time to come. In particular, the service was impeccable and the intentions of the Bride and Groom to spoil and surprise were exemplified in their choice of reception.

A massive thank you to the Milligans and many congratulations to you both!!

A Hand Crafted Salt Box is what I want for my Birthday Daddy!

2014-01-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

Hand made salt box

I just wanted to show off my newest kitchen accessory! I saw some very expensive ones for sale and really liked the design for those moments when you need to add a pinch of salt. I like the authentic design as the hole in the top was where a rudimentary wall peg would have hung the box on a wall. I am keeping mine on the work top but it's nice to know I could use a peg if I wanted to!

I asked my dad if he could make me one for my birthday seen as I had every faith he would be up to the challenge ad I don't think I have ever been more pleased with something in my whole life. I am so proud of my dad and his skills in woodwork.

I am sure he could make a pretty penny making these, but this one is just for me!

Hand made kitchen salt box

Monmouth, Borough Market, Bermondsey, London

2014-01-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Tom and I recently took a trip down to London for a much needed break. We stayed over near London Bridge in a lovely foodie haven called Bermondsey Street. On the top of our list on waking Thursday morning, was a visit to Monmouth Coffee Company on a corner between the amazing old and new Borough market.

A queue outside Monmouth for the perfect filter coffee

Morning rush at Monmouth, Borough Market

Monmouth has been in existence since 1978 and these guys appear to have quality at heart. Originating in Covent Garden as a shop and roasters, the shops were more recently extended to Borough Market, while the coffee is now roasted on nearby Maltby Street, Bermondsey. This new site is under three converted railway arches which act as whole sale market, roasters and training center. With a variety of suppliers, each discovered through extensive travel, the products are sustainable, fair and delicious - the best!

Perfect quality coffee, Monmouth

Coffee is imported from Central and South America, Africa and Asia and each is lovingly described in full detail with changes in single crop supply due to seasonality and flavour. For example - the Monmouth espresso flavour is described as ''Toasted almond with smooth body and balanced fruity acid".
I sampled the coffee of the day, detailed on a chalk board to include origin, name and qualities,

Finca La Pila
GUATEMALA
Caramelised citrus with medium acidity and body.

Pastries at Monmouth, Bermondsey

More important perhaps to this journey was the breakfast offering which accompanies the intoxicating smell of freshly brewed coffee. A significant spread of crusty fresh bread, open pots of tempting jam and marmalade and creamy lashings of butter - at a friendly open table, shared by all who wish to tuck in for a bargain three pounds. A stream of newspapers, books and busying notepads are strewn over the table as customers chat and break bread in couples or small groups and in the natural city dweller manner, they are able to sit very cosily together without so much as a wink to their neighbour. Sat amongst the busy bustle and with a view of the queue around the corner, there are as many staff behind the counter as there are customers. Frantically grinding and filtering their wares. A large board on the wall gives a two minute lesson in the perfect brew and a variety of small coffee related gifts sit on the wooden shelves. For the more delicate morning nibble, a selection of fresh pastries, brioches and buns can be picked up and taken out to a convenient bench just outside the door, where a few folk who looked like it wasn't their first time here, had parked themselves for a quick rest before starting a busy day in the capital.

2 min lesson in the perfect filter technique

The place has a sense of urgency, essential in order to meet the needs of the caffeine addicts which frequent this place. But no doubt this is a perfect gem and the kind of place you hear about before you are enticed by the smell of the coffee for yourself.

Monmouth, Coffee Company, Bermondsey.

Coconut and Lime Cake

2013-09-03T07:29:00.000-07:00


Coconut and Lime Cake

I'm really proud of how well this turned out! It was a summery birthday cake for my younger sister Victoria but I only just got around to writing up the recipe. It not only looked good, but the coconut cream made it very moist. The lime and coconut flavours made this sponge much more of an occassion cake and the flavours complimented my sister's love of Malibu!

Coconut and Lime Cake

Ingredients
Cake
200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
zest and juice of two limes
100g block of creamed coconut

Frosting
2 egg whites
200g granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
Dessicated coconut and lime zest to finish

Method

Heat oven to 170C. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth batter.
Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, smooth the surface to an even level, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and firm to the touch. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.
Meanwhile make the frosting; whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Combine the sugar with 4 tbsp water and heat over a gentle heat until you reach a syrup consistency.
Beat the slightly cooled syrup into the peaked whites with an electric whisk in a constant steady stream until completely combined and mallow. Refrigerate until your cake is cool enough to frost.
Spread a little of the frosting mixture onto the top of one of the cakes and then sandwich the two together. The cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Gently press dessicated coconut all over the outside and grate lime zest over the top to finish!

Warm Puy Lentil Salad with Grilled Cod

2013-09-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Grilled Cod on a warm lentil salad

This is a delicious fish recipe and perfect for this time of year when something warm but fresh and light is definitely on the menu. Its also really easy and any left over lentils can be chilled and eaten cold or added to a delicious stock and blended into a soup!

Warm Puy Lentil Salad

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
175g Cooked Puy Lentils (To cook, rinse well and place in a large pan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Hold heat at a rapid boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for a further 30 minutes. Drain.)
4tsp olive oil
1 white onion diced
4 sticks celery finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 diced courgette
125g Green beans trimmed and halved
1 diced green pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and celery for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute
2. Add the courgette, pepper and beans until softened.
3. Stir in the mustard and balsamic and then pour the vegetable mixture over the warm lentils. Mix well and season.

Bread topped Cod

Serves 4

Ingredients
30g brown bread crumbs
1tbsp copped parsley
2tbsp olive oil
4 fresh cod fillets
lemon wedge
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Preheat a medium grill
2. Mix together bread crumbs, parsley and olive oil.
3. Brush the fish with a little oil and seasoning. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture and a squeeze of lemon.
4. Grill for 4-5 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

A Curious Australian Biscuit

2013-08-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Anzac biscuits

I recently blogged about a Brown Bread Frozen Yogurt I made. In the picture, I added a little something else which I had made with some curiosity. I stumbled across a recipe for Anzac biscuits in an old magazine and thought they sounded really delicious. Oats, coconut, honey... what more could you want from a biscuit! When I looked a little more into the history behind them, they really caught my interest and I couldn't resist a chance to literally taste history!
Anzac biscuits originate from the World War I era and more specifically belong to the history of the Australian troops (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) who were at the time, fighting far away in Turkey. The troops were sent these chewy treats by their loved ones.The oat and coconut biscuit acted as a substitute for bread, or could be crumbled up and used to make porridge. Everyone knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. That is certainly true of my own man and he appreciated them very much. I can't comprehend the warmth they must have brought to those men at that time. Quite frankly, they are one of the most delicious biscuits I have ever had. They are still enjoyed in Australia and remain a part of the care packages sent to Australian and New Zealand troops today, which is a wonderful tradition and a true symbol of compassion for what they do. Anzac biscuits are particularly enjoyed on April 25th ANZAC Day, a memorial day for the men lost in the terrible war.

Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients

125g Plain flour
100g oatmeal
100g soft brown sugar
50g desiccated coconut
100g unsalted butter
1tbsp honey
1/2 tsp bicarb
1 tbsp boiling water

Method

1. Grease and line a baking tray and preheat your oven to 170C.
2. Sift your flour and stir in the oatmeal, sugar, and coconut.
3. Melt the butter and honey in a saucepan on a low heat. Once melted, mix your water and bicarb in a cup and pour into your butter mixture. This will cause a reaction so you must mix them together quickly and then add to your dry ingredients.
4. Using a spoon mix everything together into a thick dough. Take spoons full and roll between your palms, then flatten onto your baking tray allowing enough room for the biscuits to grow during cooking.
5. Bake for 20mins, once golden remove from the oven and allow to cool before transferring to a container. They will keep for a long while, but may not make it that long in your biscuit tin!